Belt clasp



1.. F. KILLION.

BELT CLASP. APPLICAHON FILED FEB. 1, 1922.

; Patented May 2,1922.

INVENTOR BY r &

W ATTORNEYS.

rarest JOHN IE. KILLION, 0F ATTLEBOBO, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR T0 'WI-IITING CHAIN COMPANY, A CORPORATION MASSACHUSETTS.

BELT CLASP.

Application filed February 7, 1922. Serial No. 53%,660.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, JOHN F. KILLIoN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Attleboro, in the county of Bristol, State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Belt Clasps,

and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. i

This invention relates to a belt clasp for suspending a watch, keys or similar articles from a belt worn about the waist, and has for its object the provision of a novel form of belt clasp which is attractive in appearance, and of marked simplicity in construction and assembly as a result of which it may be manufactured at low cost.

A clasp constructed in accordance with the invention consists of a strip of a resilient metal adapted to encircle the belt to be held in a closed position about the belt by a catch, and, when released by the catch, to move by its own resiliency to an open position which permits it to be withdrawn from the belt. The metal at one end is formed to provide rings adapted to encircle a pin, and on this pin is the catch which is adapted to engage an opening in the opposite end of the strip to hold the latter in the closed position. Also afiiXed to the pin is a ring from which the chain for attachment to the watch or other article is suspended. Thus, the clasp in its entirety consists of but two parts of simple construction which may be readily manufactured and assembled at small cost. The construction of the clasp permits of its being made in a form which presents an attractive appearance, and the belt clasp affords a secure sus pension for a watch, keys or other articles presenting little or no liability of accidental detachment.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in whichv Fig. 1 shows the clasp attached to a belt;

Fig. 2 is a front view of the clasp;

Fig. 3 is a central section on line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a view of the clasp showing the side opposite to that shown in Fig. 2; and

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing the clasp in the open position'whereas Fig. 3 shows it in the closed position.

Referring to these drawings, the clasp consists of a sheet metal strip 6 which is bent upon itself as shown in Figs. 3 and 5 to form a loop approximating in size and shape the cross-sectional size and shape of the belt. The metal employed in the strip 6 is a spring metalnormally assuming the shape shown in Fig. '5, thus providing a space between the ends of the strip of ample width to permit the clasp to be moved down over the belt to the position shown in Fig. 1.

At one end of the strip 6 the latter is curved inwardly as shown at 7 and in this inwardly curved part is an opening 8 to receive the catch.

At the opposite end of the strip 6 the metal thereof is cut to provide two projections extending in the length of the strip and these projections are curled around to form two rings 9 spaced apart. These two rings serve as a support for the pin 10 which is of a length corresponding to the width of the strip 6, and the rings form bearings within whichthe pin 10 may turn. AfliXed to the pin 10 is a catch 11 projecting laterally from the central portion of the pin 10 between the two rings 9. The pin 10 also has a ring 12 affixed to the central portion thereof displaced angularly from the catch 11, and the chain 13 has thereon a spring-hook 14 for attachment to the watch which is suspended from the ring 12. With the parts in the position in which they are shown in Fig. 5, the clasp may be moved down over a belt and then the two opposite sides of the clasp pressed toward each other against the spring tension of the strip 6 until the end 7 of the strip abuts against the rings 9. The pin 10 is then turned angularly in its bearings a small amount sufiicient to carry the end of the catch 11 into the opening 8 whereupon the clasp is locked in position encircling the belt. In this position, any strain transmitted to the pin 10 through the chain 13 and ring 12 tends to hold thepin 10 and the catch 11 thereon against accidental displacement such as would release the catch from the opening 8, but the clasp may be readily opened to detach it from the belt by applying force to the ring 12 to turn the pin 10 angularly from the Fig. 3 position to the Fig. 5 position whereupon the resiliency of Patented May :2, 1222.

the metal of the strip 6 causes the clasp to open so that it may be readily Withdrawn from the belt. Y

I claim: 1

l. A belt clasp consisting of a strip bent upon itself to encircle a belt and made of resilient metal which normally assumes a position with the ends of the strips spaced apart to an open position permitting entrance of the belt within the strip, a catch mounted upon one end of the strip for movement thereon to latching and unlatohing po sitions and a chain suspended from the strip, the catch being adapted, when in latching position, to engage the opposite end of the strip when the ends of the strips are brought together to hold said ends together against the spring tension of the strip and when in unlatching position to release the opposite end of the strip to permit the spring tension of the strip to separate the ends thereof.

2. A belt clasp comprising a strip 01": re-

silient metal bent upon itself to encircle a belt, projections at one end of the strip bent to form rings, a pin mounted in the rings, a catch mounted on the pin between the rings adapted to coact with an opening in the opposite end of the strip, and a chain attached to the pin.

3. A belt clasp comprising a strip of resilient sheet metal bent upon itself to en circle a belt, a projection at one end of the strip curved toward the other end of the strip and having an opening through it, integral projections on the other end of the strip bent to form bearing rings, a pin mounted for rotation in the rings, a catch on the pin situated between the rings and adapted to enter the said opening, a ring al fixed to the pin between said bearing rings and displaced angularly from the catch, and a chain suspended from the ring above the pin.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

JOHN F. KILLION. 

